SASKATCHEWAN — Small business owners across the province will soon have free access to legal training, thanks to a new partnership between Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) and the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan (LFS).
The initiative, Know Your Business: Legal Foundations for Entrepreneurs, will offer free, flexible webinars discussing important topics such as choosing the right business structure, understanding contracts and lease agreements, managing intellectual property, interpreting employment law, navigating the legal side of purchasing or selling a business, and reading financial and legal documents with ease. Following each webinar, additional modules and resources will be available through WESK Learn.
The program has been designed with entrepreneurs in mind, especially for female entrepreneurs in rural and remote areas of the province.
“Limited access to resources can be a challenge for any entrepreneur in rural and remote communities. This initiative was designed to bridge that gap by offering a reliable, accessible learning platform, so every entrepreneur, regardless of location, can build legal confidence,” said Program & Growth Manager at WESK, Jessica Pegg.
In the media release, WESK said that legal issues are a growing concern for small business owners, and according to a 2022 Canadian survey by ARAG Legal Solutions, seven out of 10 small businesses faced a legal issue in the past three years. Although many of these disputes stem from regular business operations, the above statistics have more than doubled since 2015.
“Legal challenges can stall growth, limit hiring and even lead to business closure when owners can’t afford legal support. Missing or incomplete contracts, unclear employment terms and compliance gaps create reputational and financial risks that can undermine funding opportunities and long-term sustainability,” added Pegg.
Colleen Schmidt, Executive Director at LFS, told SaskToday that projects such as this are in line with the organization's mandate in helping Saskatchewan people access the law and justice.
“The LFS sees this project as one that offers meaningful and practical benefits for those in need of business-related legal information. This is important because accessible legal knowledge helps to remove barriers, particularly for underrepresented groups,” said Schmidt.
“While this project aims to provide legal information to support women entrepreneurs, who have been a historically underserved group, it offers practical, business-focused legal education that is beneficial to all entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan,” added Schmidt.
The webinars can be found on WESK’s website, along with any additional assistance for female entrepreneurs.
